An Orlando cop has been relieved of his duties pending an investigation after refusing to stop for a sheriff's deputy, according to police.
Video footage of the encounter shows a Seminole County Sheriff's deputy chasing down 35-year-old Alexander Shaouni for allegedly going 80mph in a 45 mph zone down Florida Avenue.
The incident happened on June 6 at approximately 12:15 P.M. and bodycam footage was shared on the Police Activity YouTube page. The footage has been viewed more than 500,000 times since being uploaded on June 13.
"The Police Activity channel is one of the leading informational platforms on YouTube for police related news and events," according to the account's description page.
"Bringing you educational and informative content, our goal is to provide an unfiltered and unbiased look into law enforcement."
In the video, the sheriff's deputy is heard saying he and his partner are having to go at 100mph in order to catch up to Shaouni.
While the deputy eventually caught up with Shaouni, authorities said he refused to stop and drove through cars to avoid the deputy. He eventually came to a halt at the intersection of State Road 434 and Hammock Lane and confronted the deputy.
Shaouni stepped out of the marked Orlando Police Department SUV he was driving and was seen wearing a police uniform.
"What? I am going into work my man. Why are you trying to pull me over as I'm going into work," he said.
The deputy said Shaouni was driving at 80 mph in a 45 mph zone and requested to see his driver's license.
The officer refused, returned to his cruiser and drove away resulting in the deputy calling in the officer's actions.
"Shaouni is charged with resisting an officer, reckless driving and fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer. He turned himself in Friday to the Seminole County Jail and was released on $9,000 bond," according to the Police Activity page.
Shaouni now faces a criminal investigation as well as an Orlando police internal affairs investigation.
Many of the views in the comments section praised the deputy for holding the officer accountable for his actions. Others remarked that they were frustrated some members of law enforcement believed they were above the law.
Some other commentors said they were wary that the Seminole Deputy could face shunning from his colleagues, but hoped that he is ultimately praised for his work.
Newsweek has contacted the Orlando Police Department and the Seminole County Sheriff's office via email for comment.
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Gerrard Kaonga is a Newsweek U.S. News Reporter and is based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on U.S. ... Read more
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